Lubricant dispensing device



Feb. 18, 1,941. I -R.J;GRAY 2,232,520.

LUBRICANT DISPENSING DEVICE Filed March 27, 1939 INVENTR R gga Jg-aa Patented Feb. 18, 1941 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE LUBRICANT DISPENSING DEVICE Russell J. Gray, Meadville, Application March 27, 1939, Serial No. 264,331 4 Claims. (01. 221-474) The present invention relates to lubricant dispensing devices, and it relatesmore particularly to manually operable devices adapted to dispense lubricant at optional high or low discharge pressures.

An object of the present invention is to provide an eflicien-t and durable manually-operable lubricant-dispensing device which may be quickly operatively assembled and operated to dispense lubricant at optional high or low discharge pressures, wherein the change-over from one pressure to the other may be easily effected, and which may be produced at relatively low cost,

Other objects will appear more fully from the following detailed description, accompanying drawing and appended claims.

For the purpose of illustrating the invention, there is shown in the accompanying drawing one form thereof which is at present preferred, since the same has been found in practice to give satistactory. and reliable results, although it is to be understood that the various instrinnentalities of which the invention consists can be variously arranged and organized and that the invention is not limited to the precise arrangement and organization of the instrumentalities as herein shown and described.

Referring to the drawing wherein like reference characters indicate like parts Figure 1 represents a fragmentary longitudinal sectional view taken through a lubricant dispensing device constituting one embodiment of the present invention.

Figure 2 represents a sectional view taken along line 2-2 of Figure 1, looking in the direction of the arrows. l

Figure 3 represents a fragmentary longitudinal sectional view of the unopened reservoir portion of the device illustrated in Figure 1 asthe same appears prior to assembly of said device.

The particular embodiment of the present invention selected for illustration in the. accompany-ing drawing includes a lubricant reservoir portion 25 having associated therewith manually operable means for selectively dispensing the contained lubricant at high or low discharge pressures, Such means may include an externallythreaded elongated tubular barrel portion or housing 6 extending axially through the reservoir 25, and formed integrally with, or suitably connected to; a forwardly-disposed relatively short barrel portion or housing I disposed exteriorly of the reservoir portion 25. The bore of the barrel portion 6 is preferably equal in diameter "tothebore of the barrel portionl and aligned therewith, thereby to provide a generally continuous high-pressure cylindrical chamber 8. A high-pressure lubricant-expelling piston 9, of a diameter substantially equal to the diameter of the cylindrical chamber 8, is slidably disposed inside said chamber. The leadingtip or nose of the piston 9 may be tapered or rounded as at 10 to facilitate the movement thereof.

A plurality of circularly distributed inlet openings III, which extend transversely through the 10 wall of the barrel 6 in proximity .to the forward reservoir wall 26, establish operative communication between the interior of the reservoir 25 and the high-pressure cylinder 8. 'Ilhe forward end of the high-pressure cylinder 8 may have associated therewith a spring-pressed ball check valve .M, which may be housed within a slightly enlarged end-passageway 12 in the barrel 1, and which may seat against an annular shoulder t3 separating the difi'erentlysized passageways 8 2 0 and I2 Anysuitable nozzle, as for instance, the illustrated curved push-on nozzle l5 may be screwthreadedly associated with the forward or discharge end of the barrel I. The term push-on nozzle is intended to comprehend all lubricantdelivery nozzles which are adapted to establish a seal against a lubricant receiving fitting or nipple when thrust or held more or less axially thereagainst, and includes not only thenon-inlterlocking type nozzle illustrated in Figure 1, but also chuck type interlocking nozzles or couplers,

as for instance those shown in Patents Nos. 2,016,809;- 2,056;249; and 2,061,062.

The rear end it of .the nozzle F5 projects into the enlarged end passageway i2, and provides an .abutmen t for the valve-closing spring of the check valve M. The forward or discharge end of the push -on nozzle l5 may include a frusto-conical guide surface I! for guiding the adjacent io spherical sealingsurface l2 into operative sealingcontact with the end of the particular lubricant-receiving fitting or nipple selected to receive lubricant, provided, of course, that the machine part into which the lubricant is to be dispensed is provided with a fitting or nipple.

Two or more transversely extending arms i9, which may be formed integrally with the base of the barrel 1, provide manually graspable means whereby the device may be operatively manipu- 15 0 'lated. If desired, these arms l9 may each be provided with an end lip or flange 20 which .more or less loosely straddles or overlaps the annular end bead 2 8 of the reservoir 25. A'sealing washer 2*! which may be formed of any suittion 6 extends axially through the lubricant reservoir 25, which may be of cylindrical contour, as illustrated. This reservoir may be com structed from thin sheet-metal and may com prise a cylindrical body portion having end walls 26 and 21 secured thereto in any suitable fashion, as for instance by having their meeting edges overlapped and crimped to form annular beads or seams 23. If desired, these end walls 26 and 2'! may be structurally reinforced by means of circular or radial corrugations or indentations impressed therein.

The end walls 26 and 21 may each be circularly prescored as at 29, to permit end discs 30 bounded by said scoring to be readily punched out or severed from said end walls thereby to provide aligned openings through which the threaded barrel 6 may be projected ax ally. In assembling the device, the end discs 30 may be preliminarily punched out or severed from their respective end walls by any suitable instrument, or if desired they may be punched out by the barrel end portion 32 as the latter is operatively inserted into and through the body of the reservoir 25, that is to say in the very act of assembling the device.

P-rescoring, however, is not essential, and in lieu thereof the end walls 23 and 21 may-be provided with pre-formed openings which may be covered prior to-use by any suitable means, as for instance by frangible discs, or by manually removable discs soldered onto the reservoir end walls and provided with pull tabs, or the like. As another alternative arrangement, pre-formed flanged openings may be provided in the reservoir end walls, and these openings may be closed prior to use by closure caps either frictionally or screw-threadedly detachably engaged with the reservoir end walls.

To provide means for discharging lubricant at a relatively low pressure, a relatively large-sized lubricant-expelling piston 33, of an overall diameter generally equal to the inside diameter of the reservoir 25, is slidably disposed in said reservoir, preferably initially adjacent the rear endwall 27. The piston 33 may include a relatively thin sheet-metal reinforcing disc 34having any suitable lubricant-resistant fibrous or leather cupped or flanged packing disc 35 associated with the side thereof which faces the body of lubricant within the reservoir 25. If desired the packing disc 35 may be more or less permanently secured to the metal disc 34 by any suitable means, as for instance by means of rivets 36 or the like. The piston 33 may be propelled axially through the reservoir 25, and the rim 3! of the piston packing disc 35 is preferably 'fianged to improve the'eifectiveness of the seal apertured internally-threaded bushing or hub 38 adapted for screw-threaded engagement with the externally-threaded barrel 6 which extends axially through the body of the lubricant reservoir 25.

If desired, the piston 33 may constitute a master piston adapted for repeated use with a plurality of reservoirs devoid of internal lubricantfollowers or pistons. Thus, a single low-pressure lubricant-expelling piston 33 may be provided for use with a plurality of lubricant reservoirs. In order to permit the master piston to be inserted into such reservoir, the rear end-Wall 2'! of the reservoir is preferably completely severed orcut away from cylindrical body along an annularline immediately adjacent the lapped seam or bead 28, leaving a maximum-sized end-opening. The severed disc is discarded and the master piston 33 may be introduced into the body of the lubricant reservoir through the opening left thereby.

The hereinabove described lubricant dispensing apparatus may be readily operatively assembled in the following manner. The operator seizes the manually graspable barrel portion 1 in his'one hand, and with the reservoir 25 held in his other hand, pushes the barrel end 32 through the reservoir forward end-wall 26. The exteriorly-threaded barrel 6 is advanced axially through'the reservoir, until the end portion 32 thereof contacts the internally threaded hub 38 of the low-pressure piston 33. The barrel 6 then may be spun or rotated by means of the transversely extending arms I9, threadingthe tip 32 thereof through the hub 38, and advancing it through the aligned opening 31 of the reservoir end-wall .21.

In the preferred embodiment of the present invention, sufficient friction exists between the periphery of the low-pressure piston 33 and the wall of the reservoir 25 to insure that the piston 33 will not rotate or turn freely within or relative to said reservoir when the reservoir is .rotated relative to the barrel '3. Instead, the piston 33 is preferably more or less fixed or restrained against free rotation, and this even though the piston 33 is freely axially slidable through the reservoir.

After the barrel 3 has been threaded into the piston hub 38, subsequent relative rotation between said barrel on the one hand, and the reservoir and its associated low-pressure piston on the other hand, advances the reservoir along the barrel 6 until the reservoir forward endwall 26 comes in contact with the resilient seal- I ing washer 2i and the end-bead 28 abuts against the transversely extending arms l9.

The manually reciprocable high-pressure piston 9 may then be slid into the bore of the barrel 6 and the lubricant-dispensing device isready for operation.

In actual operation, the nozzle 15 is thrust more or less axially against the lubricant-receiving fitting selected for servicing, and, for .low-

pressure.discharge,:.the reservoir 25 is rotated on barrel 6, advancing the low-pressure piston 33 axially through the bodyo'f the reservoir, thereby subjecting its lubricant contents to .a gener- -ally low positive pressure. If the high-pressure piston 9 is sufliciently retracted to uncover the inlet :ports 'II, the low-pressure created by the advance 'of piston 33 forces lubricant through the inlet 'ports I l and into "the cylindrical passageway 8. The lubricant hydraulically unseats the .rpre'ferably lightly-seated check valve l4; and

flows through the discharge nozzle l into the particular lubricant fitting or nipple selected for servicing. The 'eifectiveness of the seal es tablished by the washer 2| is proportional to the lubricant pressure developed in the reservoir 25', thus insuring a leak-proof connection. i For a high-pressure discharge of lubricant, the relatively small-diametered high-pressure piston 9 is manuallyreciprocated to and fro past the inlet port opening II in the high-pressure cylindrical passageway 8, thereby alternately expelling the lubricant in said cylinder on the forward stroke, and then sucking fresh lubricant into said cylinder at the end of the return stroke. As the inlet ports II are uncovered at the end of each return stroke of the high-pressure piston 9, the suction theretofore created within the passageway 8 on the return stroke of the piston is applied to the lubricant in the reservoir, causing the lubricant to flow into said passageway. If desired, this flow may be assisted by positive pressure exerted upon the lubricant by the lowpressure piston 33.

The hereinabove described lubricant-dispensing device may be generally continuously operated to dispense lubricant either at low-pressure,or at high pressure, or it may be alternately operated to discharge lubricant first at one pressure and then at the other. The particular mode of operation selected will be governed by the varying conditions encountered in actual practice.

During high-pressure discharge, the lubricant reservoir 25 is preferably periodically rotated to compact the lubricant contents thereof, and to prevent the creation of air pockets in the lubricant.

The hereinabove described lubricant-dispens ing device may be operated at varying angles and in numerous positions, and is even adapted to supply lubricant to overhead lubricant-receiving fittings or receptacles.

The lubricant-supply reservoirs 25 need not all be of the same size or shape. Thus, the reservoirs may differ in length, and in diameter, and even in shape, without deleteriously affecting the operation of the device. Where the reservoirs used are not all of similar size and shape, the lips 21], where provided, are preferably spaced sufiiciently far apart to accommodate the largest-diametered reservoir, and the elongated barrel 6 is preferably, although not necessarily, of sufficient length to project beyond the far end-wall of the longest reservoir.

The hereinabove-described lubricant-dispensing device is simple and compact and may be operated to dispense lubricant at high, or low, or alternately high and low, discharge pressures with facility and dispatch. A feature of the present invention is the provision of the lowpressure lubricant dispensing piston or follower which is at all times subject to the direct manual control of the operator, and which may discharge lubricant from the reservoir of its own accord, either with or without the assistance of a high-pressure piston, or which may merely assist in the high-pressure discharge of lubricant by compacting the body of said lubricant to prevent the formation of voids therein, as in the capacity of a lubricant follower.

The present invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or essential attributes thereof, and it is therefore desired that the present embodiments be considered in all respects as illustrative and barrel lying within said reservoir being externally threaded, sealing means encircling said barrel in proximity to said aperture for preventing the escape of lubricant therebetween, a circular disc of an overall diameter generally equal to the inside diameter of said cylindrical reservoir screw-threadedly mounted on said barrel inside said reservoir and advanceable axially along said barrel upon rotation relative thereto, said barrel including a manually graspable portion adapted to be held in the operators one hand to prevent rotation of the barrel while the reservoir is being rotated with the other hand, an inlet port opening extending transversely through the wall of said barrel inside said reservoir in proximity to said apertured reservoir end-wall, a check-valve and a push-on nozzle at the forward end of said barrel, a lubricant-expelling piston slidably disposed inside said barrel, and a piston-rod extending rearwardly of said piston and having a handle associated therewith for manual operation.

2. A manually operable lubricant-dispensing device includinga thin sheet-metal lubricant reservoir, an externally-threaded tubular barrel extending through said reservoir and having an inlet opening in the side wall thereof disposed inside said reservoir, a manually graspable portion associated with said barrel and disposed exteriorly of said reservoir, said portion having a passageway therethrough in continuation of the bore of said tubular barrel, a low-pressure piston of relatively large diameter in said reservoir screw-threadedly engaged with said barrel and advanceable axially therealong through said reservoir upon relative rotation therebetween, a high-pressure piston of relatively small diameter adapted to be reciprocated to and fro in the continuous passageway provided by said barrel and its associated manually graspable portion, the barrel inlet opening being located near the end of the piston return stroke, and a piston-rod associated with said high-pressure piston and provided with a handle for manual operation.

3. A manually operable lubricant-dispensing device including a generally cylindrical reservoir formed of thin sheet-metal, said reservoir having an end-wall provided with a central opening therein, a tubular barrel extending through said opening axially through said reservoir, the bore of said barrel defining a high-pressure cylinder, a spring-pressed check-valve at the discharge end of said barrel, a high-pressure piston slidably disposed in said high-pressure cylinder, a piston-rod extending rearwardly of said highpressure piston and provided with an end handle for manual operation, a low-pressure piston of an overall diameter generally equal to the inside diameter of said lubricant reservoir mounted on said barrel inside said reservoir, and manuallyoperable screw-feed means, disassociated and separate from said piston-rod, disposed inside said reservoir for advancing said low-pressure piston axially through the body of said reservoir.

4. A lubricant-dispensing device including a tubular stem having a plurality of co-planar transverse arms extending therefrom and having a spring-pressed check-valve and a push-on nozzleat one end thereof, a lubricant reservoir rotatably mounted on said tubular stem with one end thereof bearing against said transverse arms, a relatively large-sized piston in said reservoir mounted on said stem, means responsive to r0- 10 tation of said piston relative to said stem for advancing said piston along said stem and through said reservoir, a passageway in the side wall of said tubular stem inside said reservoir for conducting lubricant from said reservoir into said stem, a relatively small-sized piston reciprocable inside said tubular stem to and fro past said opening, and a piston-rod extending rearwardly of said last-mentioned piston and provided with a handle for manual operation.

RUSSELL J. GRAY. 

